Forgotten Half
by Lirenel
Summary: An Ancient device has a startling effect on Sheppard and McKay. Can Beckett help them before it's too late? Sheppard and McKay friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgotten Half  
**Summary: An Ancient device has a startling effect on Sheppard and McKay. Can Beckett help them before it's too late? **Sheppard and McKay** **friendship**.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate: Atlantis or the characters in it.  
A/N: This is my second Atlantis fanfic, the first full length one. I am not a scientist or a doctor so any mistakes are my fault, sorry. Oh, and for those who have read my other stories, be warned: Evil Skittle wrote a great many of the chapters.

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Major John Sheppard eyed the desk in front of him warily. It was covered with a variety of strange contraptions. His eyes turned to the man who was sitting at the desk. "I thought Dr. Beckett told you to take time off from work after your run in with that Superbear-thing on Jeria." 

Dr. Rodney McKay didn't look up from where he was fiddling with an unknown Ancient device. The 'blue-glowy-do-hickey' as Sheppard privately called it, was a cylinder of black metal surrounded by six smaller blue cylinders. "This is not work. I found a bunch of stuff in a lab on the South side. The text near them suggests that they were projects that had been abandoned by the Ancient scientists."

"So you're basically trying to get things to work that even the all-powerful Ancients couldn't?"

McKay rolled his eyes. "It's called a hobby, Major. You should try to find one other than annoying me whenever you have free time. Or go annoy Ford or Teyla."

Sheppard grinned. "Ford's busy and Teyla's on the mainland. Besides, you're more fun to irritate than them."

Dr. McKay sighed and set the device back on the desk. "Oh, I'm so glad you find so much entertainment…don't touch that!" Sheppard had snatched the device from the table and was fiddling with the buttons randomly. "Major!"

"What, it's not dangerous is it? You said it didn't work."

McKay reached out and tried to grab it, but Sheppard held it out of his reach. "Major, quit acting like a child! We have no idea what it does."

Sheppard smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be care…" He broke off as McKay made another grab for the device. The scientist managed to get a hold on one of the blue cylinders. The tug slid the device from Sheppard's grasp and he only managed to grab another blue cylinder. The major swung his other arm at McKay to make him let go, but McKay moved and Sheppard ended up hitting the top of the device instead.

Giving a loud hiss, the cylinders that McKay and Sheppard were holding detached forcefully from the main cylinder, which crashed to the floor. The force of the disengagement threw the two men backwards. McKay landed in a heap next to the wall, while Sheppard hit a personal power generator that McKay kept in his lab. The major's weight broke the generator, starting a power buildup that could only be released in a giant surge.

McKay and Sheppard had time only to look at each other in horror before the power surged, the lights went out, and the blue cylinders in their hands grew black.

00000

"Dr. Weir!" Elizabeth Weir walked into the control room at Peter Grodin's puzzled summons.

"What is it?"

"There's been a power outage in Dr. McKay's lab. We're getting no readings from that area."

Weir frowned. Wasn't Rodney supposed to be taking time off after the bear incident? Shaking her head, the leader of the Atlantis expedition opened a com channel. "Dr. McKay, what is the situation." There was no response. "Rodney, what happened?" Still nothing. Weir frowned and tried to raise Sheppard who Beckett had enlisted to keep Rodney from working. "Major Sheppard, please respond." Nothing. She tried again to no avail.

Elizabeth tried to quell the nervousness that was beginning to rise inside of her. "Lieutenant Ford?"

Thankfully he answered. "Yes ma'am?"

"There's been some sort of power surge in Dr. McKay's lab and I can't raise him or Major Sheppard. Please take a team and check out the situation."

00000

Armed with weapons and a life-signs detector, Lieutenant Ford led a group of two marines and Dr. Zelenka to McKay's lab. The Lieutenant tried not to worry when no life-signs showed up on the detector. He entered the darkened room first, than motioned for the others to enter. Dr. Zelenka headed quickly to the generator and managed to bring the power back on.

Ford frowned at the scene. The only thing out of order was the broken generator, the cylindrical devices on the floor, and two pairs of boots on opposite sides of the room. As his eyes swept the lab, a dark shadow next to one of the pairs of boots caught his attention. Moving over to the spot, Ford knelt to the floor, his nose catching the coppery smell of the puddle before him. He activated his radio. "Dr. Weir, this is Ford. No sign of the Major or Dr. McKay in the lab. I have reason to believe they have left the room and one of them is injured. We'll need a med-team."

He didn't wait for an answer before he gathered the two marines and quickly headed off to find his missing teammates, leaving Dr. Zelenka behind to deal with the generator. The Czech scientist bit his lip and got to work, trying to ignore the pool of blood that stained the ground nearby.

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Hope you enjoyed! 


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the great response to the first chapter! You reviewers are all wonderful! I hope the rest of the story lives up to your expectations. Here's chapter two!

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Ford didn't like the fact that he was following a trail of blood. He also didn't like the fact that he was chasing his CO who should know to report in, especially if someone was injured. All possible situations were running through his mind, each one not a situation he was happy with. Just then, his eyes caught the movement of two yellow dots on the life-signs detector. They were moving slowly, away from the explored parts of the city.

The marines double-timed it, still keeping a careful eye out for the danger that Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay were obviously fleeing from. They came closer and closer to the dots until they were only a turn away. Slowing down, Ford cautiously led the marines around the corner. "Major? Dr. McKay?" A soft cry of pain reached his ears. Moving forward, Ford pointed his gun towards the sound. "Major Sheppard?"

"Stay back!"

They shaky, high-pitched command stopped Ford in his tracks. Shaking his head, Ford stepped closer to the voice. To his surprise and shock, a little boy who looked no older than six years old stepped out of the shadows. Dark, unruly hair threatened to cover his face and the sharp, hazel eyes that peered out from beneath his bangs. The boy seemed to be dressed in an oversized shirt and too-big pants that were held up by a long belt tied around his waist. What really caught Ford's attention, however, was the pistol clutched in the boys shaking hands, the barrel pointed straight at the soldiers.

Instantly, Ford pointed his P-90 away from the boy. "Take it easy now, kid."

His words didn't seem to placate the child. "Go away! I won't let you hurt him again!"

Slowly Ford laid his gun on the ground. Standing straight, he held his hands out in an appeasing manner. "We don't want to hurt anyone. Please, put the gun down."

The kid shook his head, the gun still pointed straight at Ford. "Don't move! My dad taught me how to shoot, and I will!"

"J.D.?" The weak voice that came from the shadows drew everyone's attention. Ford watched as another boy, maybe a little older than the first dragged himself to his feet. The older boy, with straight brown hair and blue eyes, swayed on his feet and Ford saw that his oversized shirt was stained in blood. Holding tightly to a groove in the wall, the brown-haired boy tried to take in the situation through glazed eyes.

The black-haired boy, J.D., looked at the other, but before Ford could take advantage of the lack of attention, the boy turned back. His eyes were full of suspicion and fear, and a touch of hopelessness that Ford had never thought a child could have. "Please, just let us go."

Ford shook his head. "Your friend is hurt, we can help him."

Frowning, J.D. opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced when his companion took a painful step forward. The icy blue eyes of the older boy locked onto Ford's own, a piercing gaze that made a shiver run up his spine. Yet the gaze was entrancing, and it was only when the injured child began shaking terribly did he manage to break it off. The brunette boy fell to the ground with an agonizing groan, curling around his stomach as if it could stop the pain.

J.D. gave a cry of his own and dropped the gun before falling to his knees at the other's side. Ford winced as the gun clattered, but thankfully it didn't go off. The Lieutenant quickly kicked the gun away, before turning to the boys.

"J.D." rasped the brown-haired boy, "He's good. Trust him."

The black-haired boy nodded and looked up at Ford, all suspicion gone. "Please," he whispered, "help us."

Lieutenant Ford wasted no time in kneeling next to the injured boy. He had fallen unconscious, but still clutched his stomach. Lifting the oversized shirt, Ford gasped. A bloody stab wound marred the boy's pale skin. Removing his vest and jacket, he quickly placed the jacket over the wound and applied pressure. Even unconscious the boy could feel the pain and cried out. One of the marines yelled into his radio for the med-team.

Looking up at the other boy, Ford saw that J.D. looked close to going into hysterics. The lieutenant tried to focus the boy's attention. "Hey kid, can you tell me how your friend was hurt?"

"My brother."

Ford frowned. "Huh?"

J.D. furrowed his brow, and Ford was saddened to see how old the boy's eyes looked. "He's my brother."

"Alright, how was your brother hurt?"

A storm fell over J.D.'s eyes. "The people at Ammontech…" His explanation was halted as the brown-haired boy let out another groan. "Quinn!" J.D. bit his lip before placing his hands next to Ford's and closing his eyes.

Ford felt a warmth flow beneath his hands that did not come from the blood. Quinn's eye's fluttered open and focused on his brother. "No!" he cried weakly and pushed J.D.'s hands away. The raven-haired boy fell away, his face paler than before, and Ford noticed that beads of sweat now covered his face.

Before Ford could say anything, Dr. Carson Beckett and the rest of his medical team arrived. "Bloody…" whispered the doctor when he saw who his patient was. He quickly pushed Ford out of the way and began examining Quinn's wound, but not before Ford managed to get another look at it. He was astonished to see that the wound was half as deep as it had been just moments before.

The lieutenant had only a second to think about it before J.D. jumped up from the floor and threw himself at Beckett. "Get away, don't hurt him!"

Ford managed to grab the boy away from the startled doctor and pulled him tightly to his chest. "It's OK, kid, Dr. Beckett won't hurt your brother. You can trust him." J.D. quieted down, now clinging to Ford as if the soldier was his only lifeline. The lieutenant felt the child shaking like a leaf and his heart went out to him.

Beckett managed to get Quinn stabilized and ready to transport to the infirmary. Ford stood so that he could continue the search for Sheppard and McKay, but J.D. wouldn't let him go, though he cried for his brother. Feeling helpless, Ford ordered the two marines to get more back-up and return to the search. Having done that, the lieutenant followed the med-team, the little boy still in his arms.

When Ford reached the infirmary, Beckett had already hustled Quinn into surgery. Not knowing quite what to do, Ford laid J.D. down on one of the hospital beds. The boy curled up on his side, still shivering as Ford pulled the blankets over him. It took only moments for his hazel eyes to close and the boy was asleep.

Ford took a deep breath and activated his radio. "Dr. Weir, this is Ford."

The com crackled. "Lieutenant, have you found them?"

"Not yet. We found two boys in the halls, one of them wounded."

A pause. "You mean children?"

"Yes, ma'am, brothers. I have no idea where they came from. They don't look Athosian. Dr. Beckett has one of them in surgery now and the other is asleep in the infirmary."

Ford could almost see Dr. Weir puzzling over this. "I'll be right down."

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I think I'll post another chapter tonight. Hope you enjoyed! 


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter. I hope you like it

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"I have a team looking for the Major and Dr. McKay. I just…"

Weir nodded understandingly at Lieutenant Ford. "You were right to bring him to the infirmary. From what you've said, these children sound like they've been through a lot."

Ford grimaced. "You got that right, ma'am. I don't know what happened, but they're scared, tired, and hurting. That stab wound came from a knife, and by the way the kid acted it wasn't accidental."

"Aye, I'm afraid you are correct, lieutenant." Weir and Ford turned to see Dr. Beckett step out of the operating room. "The wound wasn't too deep, though the lad lost a lot of blood. He's in recovery now. However, during surgery my team found scars to indicate that this wasn't an isolated incident." Beckett sighed, his eyes troubled. "To put it bluntly, the lad's been physically abused."

Ford swore and Weir's face looked grim. "Can you tell us anything else?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not at the moment. I was hoping to talk to the other lad—his brother?" Ford nodded. "He might be able to tell us more. I also need to check him over."

"He's asleep right now, but…"

"I'm awake." The three turned at the small voice. J.D. slowly sat up on the bed, his eyes looking suspiciously at Dr. Weir. "Who are you?"

Ford jumped in, remembering how distrustful the boy was. "This is Dr. Elizabeth Weir, you can trust her too. You've met Dr. Carson Beckett, and my name is Aiden Ford. Call me Aiden."

Weir smiled at the boy, taking a seat next to his bed so she could look him in the eye. "You can call me Elizabeth. What's your name?"

The boy looked up at Ford who nodded encouragingly. He looked back at Weir. "My name's John Drexel Callaghan."

Ford tried not to frown, the name sparking a memory that couldn't possibly be right. "Do you go by J.D.?"

"No, only my brother calls me that, just like I'm the only one who calls him Quinn."

"What's your brother's name, then?"

John stared straight into Ford's eyes. "He's Rodney Quentin Callaghan."

Weir forced the smile to stay on her face, not letting her eyes betray her confusion. "And how old are you, John?"

"We turned seven in June. We had a space party, and Mom made us a cake…" His eyes grew sad, tears clouding their blue depths. "I want to go home! I want Mom and Dad to still be alive, I want to be able to play in our fort with Rodney, I want to go on the trip to Devil's Lake with Dad like he promised…I want to go home!" The tears fell and John began sobbing.

On instinct, Beckett sat next to the boy and pulled him into a hug. "There now, lad, I know." After a few moments, John's sobs turned into sniffles. "I know you're tired, son, but I need to give you a check-up, make sure you're healthy. Why don't you tell Elizabeth and Aiden about yourself while I do that, hmm?"

John nodded and Beckett helped him out of the oversized shirt. As the doctor began examining the boy, Weir decided to continue questioning him in order to get him to open up. "So, John, where are you from?"

"Fairhills, North Dakota. It's near Canada."

Weir paused. "John, I know this may sound weird, but what it the date?"

John wrinkled his forehead. "I'm...I'm not sure. It was September when…when they took us. I lost track of the days, but it's been a long time." He looked up, troubled. "It might not even be 1976 any more. I…I think we missed Christmas!"

Beckett paused in his examination and patted the boy on his shoulder. "It's alright, lad. I'll have the cook make you some gingerbread and hot tea for you and your brother, as a belated Christmas treat."

Hazel eyes actually lit up at the mention of good. "We love gingerbread! And tea too, 'cept Rodney's allergic to lemon so we can't have any with that in it."

"Right, no lemon."

Cheered at the thought of treats, John happily continued talking. "Rodney's really smart. He wants to be an astronaut when he grows up, and build a laser gun to blow aliens up with. I want to be a doctor or a policeman like dad." At the mention of his father, the light in John's eyes died. "We were playing baseball with dad when…" He shook his head and looked up at Beckett. "Is Rodney going to be alright?"

"Aye. His cut wasn't too deep. He should be right as rain soon. You can see him in a bit if you would like." John nodded, but quit talking. Beckett finished up his examination and helped the boy put his shirt back on. "You look tired, lad. I'll have a nurse bring some food, but then I want you to get some sleep. Alright?" John nodded again, and Beckett gently squeezed his shoulder. "Into bed you go."

The doctor turned to Weir and Ford. "I'm going to have some tests run; I'll be out in a bit."

0000

It took Beckett only a moment to drop off the blood work with one of the nurses. He ordered three different tests, then made his way to the room off the side of the infirmary where Weir and Ford were waiting for him. The three just stood there for a moment, each processing their thoughts. As deference to Weir's leadership and just being gentlemen, Ford and Beckett allowed her to speak first.

"I'm guessing the both of you are thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ford agreed. "Ma'am, during downtime one day the team got to talking about names. Major Sheppard's middle name is Drexel."

Weir remembered that from the personnel files. "Yes, and Dr. McKay's middle name is Quentin."

Beckett shook his head. "I'm not making any judgment until the DNA tests come back." A pause. "Still, how many smart Rodney Quentin's are allergic to lemons?"

Weir was still trying to sort out her thoughts. "But how could we not know that Rodney and Major Sheppard were twins? Besides, the major is a year younger than Rodney."

"The lad _is_ quite small for his age," interjected Beckett.

Ford shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we won't know for sure until we get the DNA results."

Weir nodded, though it was obvious that she was still chewing on the implications of these new developments. Shaking her head, she changed the subject. "Carson, how is John? Was he…?"

"Nay, he wasn't physically abused like Rodney. However, he is much too thin for my liking. If Rodney _is_ our Rodney, he still suffers from hypoglycemia which his brother would know about. And knowing Major Sheppard…"

"John gave Rodney his food." Weir didn't look happy about this. She knew Major Sheppard would sacrifice himself for anyone on his team, and she wouldn't put it past him that he was the same way as a child.

The doctor didn't look happy either. "Aye, at least some of it. Rodney himself was too thin so they obviously weren't given a lot to begin with."

Weir let out a frustrated sigh. "What did they go through?"

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Idid mention that Evil Skittle wrote most of this, didn't I? 


	4. Chapter 4

Alright, here's an update.

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_He felt the blood splash on his face. It wasn't cold like water, but even so he shivered. The body tumbled, the weight forcing him to the ground. He wanted to push it off him, but couldn't. He couldn't push his mother away._

"Lad, wake up."

_John was trying to pull him away, but it was too late. They grabbed him, he felt a pin-prick, and soon the world faded away._

"Rodney, you need to wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Rodney Callaghan blinked his eyes, trying to focus on the face in front of him. His face froze in fear at the sight of the dark-haired man in a lab coat, so much like those who had terrorized him the past few months.

A hand touched his arm and Rodney instantly relaxed, recognizing the feel of his brother. "It's OK, Quinn, he's the one who helped fix you. His name's Dr. Carson."

"Where…where're we?" Rodney muttered, his mouth dry.

Beckett helped the boy drink some water before answering. "I was just telling your brother about that. You are in the infirmary on a secret military installation codenamed Atlantis. Though we don't know how you got here, I can promise you that you're safe. No one will hurt you."

Rodney nodded slightly, his eyelids drooping. John smiled at his brother. "Go to sleep, Quinn. I'm right here." Grasping his brother's hand, Rodney drifted calmly off to sleep.

Beckett left the boys together, both looking much better after seeing each other well. As he headed to the blood lab, Dr. Weir entered the infirmary followed closely by Lieutenant Ford. "You're just in time, I was just about to get the blood results."

Entering the lab, Beckett quickly took a seat at the Ancient computer. After pressing a few buttons and giving a few mental commands, data appeared on the screen that only Beckett seemed to understand. A frown grew on his face, deepening as his concentration grew more centered. At last he sat back in the chair and rubbed a hand over his face. "Well, that's interesting."

"What?"

Beckett pushed back the chair and looked at Ford and Weir. "I ordered three blood tests. One, which searches for alien viruses and such, isn't finished yet. The other two were DNA tests. They confirm that John and Rodney Callaghan are _our_ John Sheppard and Rodney McKay and that they are, in fact, brothers."

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel shocked. Even though they had had their suspicions, to hear that her chief science officer and chief of military operations were twin brothers was still stunning. "How did this happen?"

Beckett looked at her like she was crazy. "How the bloody well am I supposed to know that? All I know is that the last time I saw them, Major Sheppard and Rodney were grown men and now they're 7 year-old orphans."

"The cylinders." Weir and Beckett turned to Ford. "In McKay's lab we found their boots and three cylinders, one near each pair of boots and one in between. My guess is it was an experiment gone wrong. Way wrong."

Weir sighed. "I'll get Dr. Zelenka on it right away."

00000

"Dr. Zelenka, any progress?" Dr. Weir entered McKay's lab where Zelenka had taken up residence to solve their current problem. It had been three days since the boys had been found and she was beginning to get frustrated. Neither child had been forthcoming over their experience, rarely talking to anyone except each other. Beckett had come to her with worries about their mental health, plus worrying at the fact that Rodney was not healing as quickly as he should.

"No, not much. Rodney, he keeps no notes on his research. Claims he remembers every detail, writes it down later for us 'lesser folk'. I must start my own research on the device, which brings many problems. All I can say is that it was abandoned as a failure."

Weir stared at the Czech. "Obviously it works."

Zelenka bobbed his head, still not looking up from his work. "Work, yes. Work _correctly_, not so. It is supposed to de-age the person using the device, but the creator found problem in it. What the problem is, I do not know."

Weir opened her mouth to ask another question when her radio beeped. "Dr. Weir."

"Elizabeth, this is Carson. You need to get down here lass. Something's wrong."

ooo

Dr. Beckett glanced briefly at his now-sleeping patient before moving to his office. Weir didn't like the grim look on his face when she entered. "Carson, what is it?"

The doctor sighed, his blue eyes full of worry. "I told you earlier that Rodney wasn't healing as quickly as I would like. Now he's getting worse."

"Worse?"

"Aye. He has a fever, but I cannot isolate the cause. His wound isn't infected and we can't detect any virus or bacteria in his blood stream. Not only that, in the past few hours he's been having bouts of intense pain that cause severe convulsions. And I don't know how to treat him."

00000

Though asleep, Rodney Callaghan still felt the pain his body was putting him through. He could tell that something was terribly wrong with him. It hadn't felt this way when he had been given that horrible shot, the one that made his stomach hurt when he tried to _feel_. At seven years old it had become second nature for him to be able to _feel_ another person's feelings, to tell if they were bad or good. Now, when he did it, he only felt pain. Still, this pain was different. It flowed throughout his whole body, gradually increasing until he could barely breathe. Only then did the pain ebb, until the next time.

The boy sensed a familiar, warm sensation that forced him to wake up again, too soon after the pain medication had put him to sleep. "J.D., stop it!" he demanded weakly.

John glared at his brother. "Quinn, you're hurt. I have to make you better."

Rodney didn't have the strength to shake his head, so he contented himself with glaring back. "No. I told you before when…I told you not to help me. It's hurting you."

"I don't care!"

"I do! No more, I can't take it, J.D. I can't. Please."

John's lower lip began trembling. "Don't give up Quinn. The people here are good, they'll help you. Please, I…I need you."

Rodney closed his eyes. "I promise not to give up until you let me. Just, don't try to help Dr. Carson. I don't want you hurting too." Content with this, John squeezed Rodney's hand and curled up in the chair next to the bed. Rodney couldn't bring himself to open his eyes again, to look at his brother. While John had the uncanny ability to heal others, Rodney knew it sapped his strength. He didn't want his brother to waste his energy on what, deep down, he knew was a lost cause.

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I'll try to post the next chapter soon. 


	5. Chapter 5

I'm thinking I am going to try finish posting this today or tonight since I'll be pretty busy these next few weeks. Also, though I haven't been answering individual reviews, I'd like to answer a few questions that have popped up. I know Rodney is allergic to all citrus, but sgaan33 got it right when she said I only mentioned lemons because it was easier for John to remember. Plus, I've given a lot of thought to ages, and I just have always felt that John was younger than Rodney. I know some people feel different (and it was really interesting about how Joe, David, and Paul are only a year or so apart), but I took artistic license since they don't specify it on the official site. And, you'll find out what Ammontech is a little later.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Doctor Weir stood in the darkness, watching the two boys sleep. The nurses had pushed two beds together so that John could sleep close to Rodney, the two inseparable. Right now they were curled together, looking so very lost and alone.

Weir sighed, an all-too-common occurrence in the five days since Sheppard and McKay had been turned into children. Just now Dr. Beckett had bleakly informed her that Rodney was slowly dying of unknown causes. All they knew was that his cells and organs were failing, causing extreme pain…both for Rodney and for those who cared about him. Beckett had given him three days to live.

Three days. Not enough time for Dr. Zelenka and his team who were working around to clock to find some way to reverse the de-aging process. Not enough time for the doctors and nurses of Atlantis to come up with a cure. Not enough bloody time.

Elizabeth was brought out of her musings by soft crying. Rodney had woken up, and from the looks of it he had just suffered another nightmare like the ones that had plagued the twins continuously. Without a second thought, Weir sat on the bed next to the boy. Careful of the wires connected to the thin body, she pulled him into an embrace.

The child felt limp in her arms, too weak from the attacks of pain to do anything but cry. Almost automatically Elizabeth began gently rocking the boy, humming an old lullaby from her childhood. Rodney soon quieted down until she thought he was asleep again. She was wrong.

"Lizbeth?" She smiled at the name. After Weir had introduced herself to little Rodney, he had almost immediately begun calling her Lizbeth. Despite her disdain for nicknames, somehow she couldn't bring herself to ask that he stop. "Lizbeth, I'm worried 'bout John."

"Why's that, sweetie?"

"He's really smart. I don't want him to feel bad when he figures it out."

Weir was glad Rodney couldn't see her frown in the dark. "Figure what out?"

"That it's our fault Mom and Dad died."

That caught Weir's attention. "Rodney, it is _not_ your fault. Why would you say that?"

Rodney shivered. "They killed them to get us. John can heal people just by thinking. He has to think really, really hard and it tires him out, but we both know most people can't do that. Mom and Dad said it made him special. Just like me being able to sense what other people are feeling. Or at least I could. They wanted us 'cause of that." Elizabeth felt him move his head to look at her. "Please don't let him feel bad. And don't let him blame himself when I die."

A shock rolled through Weir at his words, too old for one his age. "You are _not_ going to die, Rodney."

"Yes I am," the boy calmly responded. "I'm glad it's here, though. You and Dr. Carson and Aiden have been so nice. I wish we could be better friends. I wish…" his words trailed off as he loss consciousness again.

For a moment Elizabeth felt an icy fear, that Rodney had already died. But no, his heart still beat strongly. For now. In silence she continued to rock the child in her lap, tears tracing warm paths down her face.

00000

Ensconced in Dr. McKay's lab, Radek Zelenka continued working feverously deep into the night. There was so much he didn't know! The inventor who created the cylindrical device had been trying to find immortality by de-aging the body. Unfortunately, the device seemed to _turn back time_ instead of rejuvenating aging cells. All who attempted to use the machine lost everything they had done in their lives. Apparently one test subject had gone back to an age when he had almost died…and had almost died again.

The Atlantean Council had shut the project down. Zelenka could find no mention of a way to return the test subjects to their original age. If indeed they had ever been able to do so. The Czech scientist groaned in frustration. There wasn't enough time!

00000

John Callaghan couldn't sleep, not with his brother being so sick. The boy sighed. If only Rodney would let him help! Nonetheless, Rodney was refusing, just as he had in the dark cell they shared at Ammontech. He had told John before he had been hurt again that he didn't want his brother to heal him anymore. That Rodney just couldn't take the pain, the torture anymore and just wanted it to be over.

John's hands balled into fists. Why did Rodney have to be so stubborn! He knew he was the younger twin but was eight minutes really so much of a difference? All John wanted to do was be able to take care of the older twin, but he couldn't because of that stupid promise!

Tears leaked from the boy's eyes, but he hid them. If he couldn't heal Rodney, the least he could do was not disturb him as he tried to sleep through the pain.

00000

Carson Beckett let out a string of curses at the computer in front of him. After maddening attempts at isolating a cause for Rodney's deterioration, the doctor had decided to try another route. Obviously something had been done to the boy during his captivity, so that would be the place to start looking. Unfortunately, the only mention of 'Ammontech' in the database was labeled 'classified'.

A thought came to him and he hesitated. Maybe, just maybe… Carson shook his head. It was terribly illegal. Oh, the heck with it. He was on another planet, in another galaxy, and his friend was in danger. Who cared? Beckett carefully removed the disks he had hidden in the bottom drawer of his desk and slipped one into his computer. He hit a few buttons and, finally finding what he was looking for, he began reading.

A few hours later Carson had finished, his face paler than the moon over Atlantis. Clenching his teeth, the doctor slowly stood, his hands bunched into fists. Barely controlling the emotions running through his soul, Carson strode to the makeshift fitness center. The few marines working out that late at night were surprised to see him enter and head straight for the punching bag. They were even more surprised when the kind-hearted doctor began hitting the bag with all his strength, not stopping until his hands were bloody.

Carson let everything out on the punching bag. Finally, exhausted, he grabbed the bag and leaned against it, eyes closed. After catching his breath, the doctor gave the bag one last punch before storming back to the infirmary to bandage his hands.

* * *

What did Beckett discover? Find out in the next chapter of Stargate Atlantis: Forgotten Half. 


	6. Chapter 6

Here is the chapter in which you find out the answers to a lot of questions. It is kind of dark, because of the people I fashioned Ammontech after. It's also probably one of the longest chapters, so sit tight and enjoy.

* * *

Elizabeth looked around the conference table at the people seated there. Lieutenant Ford, acting military commander in Major Sheppard's absence; Dr. Zelenka filling in for McKay; and Doctor Beckett, pale and with murder in his eyes. It was the good doctor who had called the meeting, not giving any details. "Dr. Beckett, would you like to tell us what you found?"

The physician sighed. "I'm afraid I must begin with admitting that I broke several laws to find everything out." Every eyebrow around the table rose at the admission that the sweet Scot had done something wrong. "Before I left for Atlantis I had an American friend who was something of a conspiracy theorist. What made him unusual was that he was a skilled computer hacker and basically could prove everything he theorized about. He apparently hacked into the SGC and found out I was working for them and was about to leave on a top-secret mission. He sent me a stack of CDs filled with hacked files from just about every government agency in an attempt to keep me from becoming involved. Of course I never looked at them. Until now."

Ford sat up straighter in his chair, if that was possible. "You mean you found stuff about that Ammontech thing John talked about?"

Beckett nodded, the fire in his blue eyes deepening. "Aye. It turns out that there was a Goa'uld named Ammon who was captured by Ra and became one of his lieutenants. Apparently Ammon knew something of the existence of the Ancients and their descendents. He conducted secret studies aboard one of his ships. During a great battle several thousands of years ago between Ra and some of the other System Lords, Ammon was killed and his ship crashed into what is now the Hudson Bay."

"In the late sixties, a group of international scientists found the ship and began exploring its information. As well, one of the scientists had been a good friend of Dr. Langford and knew of the Stargate. It didn't take them long to find a linguist to translate the Goa'uld writings, and soon they were beginning their own experiments."

Weir interrupted, her tightly folded hands resting on the table. "What kind of experiments? On whom?"

Carson grimaced. "They figured out how to find the ATA gene in humans, which was quite advanced science for their time. They then placed spies of a sort in hospitals in Canada and the Northern United States, to test twins born in those hospitals for the gene." He sighed. "John and Rodney were born in North Dakota and had the strongest genes of all the 'subjects'."

Zelenka frowned. "Dr. McKay had the gene artificially applied here in Atlantis. Only Major Sheppard had the gene naturally."

"I'll get to that. Based on the files I have, children with the gene are actually more powerful than when they are adults. Ancient 'quirks', as you might call them, can manifest themselves from birth to adolescence. These Ammontech scientists took careful note of each 'subject's' abilities." He looked down at the notes he had pulled from the computer. "John seemed to show signs of being a 'healer', with abilities like those shown in General O'Neill the second time he had the Ancient database downloaded in his brain. Rodney, on the other hand, seemed more skilled in empathy."

Ford almost choked. "McKay? Empathic? Doesn't that mean he's sensitive to the feelings of others? Are you sure you have that right?"

Carson had been skeptical himself; until he found out the reason Rodney no longer seemed empathic. "My information is correct. To continue, the scientists, after a few years, hired a group of mercenaries to 'collect' the children they had marked for study." The doctor's face looked even more haggard and drawn than before. "They killed everyone in their way."

_"Great catch Rodney!"_

_The boy grinned and threw it back to his father, Captain Derek Callaghan. "Thanks Dad."_

_John punched the pocket of his mitt. "Come on, throw it to me!"_

_Marie Callaghan smiled as she watched the three men in her life playing together. No matter how hard of a day Derek had at the police station, he always made time for the twins. The boys adored their father, and days like this, having dinner outside on the porch and playing in the backyard, seemed to make all cares slip away._

_The middle-aged mother grinned as John dove into the dirt to catch a groundball. 'Always so dramatic,' she thought. As John's throw sailed over his father's head, she could only be thankful that they had no near neighbors with windows to be broken. Their small house was surrounded by trees, a secluded piece of land in a secluded state. _

_That seclusion soon came to an end. One moment Derek was grinning and blowing Marie a kiss, the next his face froze, his eyes barely having time to look down at the bleeding hole in his chest before he fell down, clearly dead._

_Rodney heard his mother scream before he actually realized what had happened. As his beloved father fell to the ground, he looked at the murderers who came ever near him. He didn't even have to stretch his abilities to 'feel' the evil in their souls. _

_With a mother's strength, Marie sprinted from the porch and positioned herself between her children and the murderers of her husband. "John, Rodney, run!" The boys didn't have to be told twice. They dashed towards the trees, Marie behind them. _

_They didn't get far. Rodney, never as fast a runner as his brother, was being pushed along by Marie. All of a sudden he felt blood splash on his face, chillingly warm. He couldn't help but scream as his mother's body fell, the weight forcing him to the ground. His mind was a whirlwind of emotion and he was unable to move, to push the body away so he could escape._

_In only a moment John was there, trying to pull Rodney away. He wasn't strong enough, he couldn't free his brother. The dark men were soon on top of them, roughly throwing John to the ground beside his brother. The twins could only look at each other in horror before they felt pin-pricks on their arms and the world faded to darkness. _

"John and Rodney were taken to a hidden laboratory on the border of the United States and Canada. The scientists decided to test John's healing abilities, since they were more obvious than Rodney's empathic abilities. To make the study 'scientific', they gave Rodney a gene-inhibiting shot that effectively turned off his ability to use the ATA gene. They then would injure Rodney, using mainly a knife, and leave John to heal him."

_The boys huddled together in a corner of their tiny cell as the door opened. The room was windowless, with only two mattresses for furniture. It had been only a few days since they were put in the cell, since Rodney had been given the shot. They knew next to nothing about why they were here, only that they were being held at a place called Ammontech. _

_One of the scientists entered the room, followed by two large mercenaries. The scientist, a short man with wispy blonde hair and glasses, stared coldly at the children. "Proceed." One of the mercenaries grabbed John, the other, a broad-shouldered, dark-eyed man, held down Rodney. The dark-haired soldier unsheathed a knife, holding it near the boy's throat._

_John started yelling first, trying to fight against the man holding him, desperate to get to his brother. Rodney just looked on with fearful eyes until the mercenary brought the knife down and sliced through his shoulder. Then he could only scream until he blacked out._

_John scrambled over to Rodney's side as the three men left the cell, locking the door behind them. Whimpering slightly, John held his hands over his brother's wound and concentrated. He didn't even know that they were being watched by scientists behind a one-way mirror. _

"This went on for about four months."

"Four months? They tortured those sweet boys for four months?" Weir, like the others in the room, looked sick at the thought.

Carson nodded. "Aye, they did. The only saving grace was that the scientists would give them some time in between to rest and heal."

"But they got out," they looked at Ford who had spoken up. "I mean, since they are here and not there, they obviously must have escaped somehow."

"You're right. Some people in both governments were getting suspicious and began investigating Ammontech. One of the scientists who had been uneasy about the tests turned the experiment in, and the Canadian and American governments sent in a combined Special Operations team to shut them down."

_Captain Nathan Sheppard of the United States Marine Corps silently stepped through the dense brush around the intended target. He kept track of his team through his night vision goggles, watching as they quietly broke the security barrier around the complex._

_He wasn't looking forward to what they might find inside. The mission briefing had been specific: there were children being held hostage, possibly tortured, by a group of mad scientists and their hired mercenaries. Their mission was to free the children and capture or kill those responsible. Sheppard's heart tightened. He and his wife had just lost their young son, Joshua, in a car accident. How anyone could hurt a child when all he wanted was his son back was beyond his comprehension. _

_His commanding officer gave the signal; they were going in._

"Unfortunately, Ammontech somehow got word of the mission. The mercenaries gathered all the children into a large room and…got rid of the evidence."

_John sat hopelessly next to his brother. After once more being injured, this time with a knife in his side, Rodney had refused his help. He refused to let John heal him, knowing what it was doing to his dark-haired twin. All John could do now was watch his brother slowly fade away._

_The door to their cell opened and John tensed up. Surely they wouldn't hurt Rodney again, not when he wasn't healed first! The two soldiers grabbed the boys and dragged them into a large room. Rodney was in too much pain to notice much, using all his strength to stand upright, but John was surprised to see other children there. They were around his age, and all in the same straights and John and Rodney._

_Suddenly all the doors to the room slammed shut and warning bells went off in John's head. He looked up at the metal balcony above them, seeing the blank faces of the mercenaries training their guns right at the confused children below. In that moment John knew what was going to happen, but there was nothing he could do._

_Captain Sheppard's head came up at the sound of gunfire. He and his team raced toward the sound, taking care of any mercenary in their way, as well as several unlucky scientists. They reached the room where the shooting seemed to come from, but the door was locked. The soldiers heard screams from behind the door and they hurried to set the explosives. _

_As an explosion rocked the door off its hinges, Sheppard noticed that the screams and the gunshots had stopped. 'Please don't let that mean what I think it means,' he prayed. He and the other soldiers burst into the doorway, picking off the mercenaries set up around the large room. As the smoke cleared they saw what had happened in that room._

_Nathan Sheppard stared at the scene. It was a moment that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Quickly stepping out of the room, Sheppard fell to his knees and retched up the contents of his stomach, dimly aware of several others who were doing the exact same thing._

"Got rid of…the evidence?"

Beckett couldn't look anyone in the eye. "The leaders of Ammontech decided to get rid of incriminating evidence. However, the mission had been moved up and they couldn't destroy the paper trail in time. Unfortunately, the Special Ops team was too late to save the children."

Weir tried to swallow, the lump in her throat making it nearly impossible. "How many…?"

"There were 50 sets of twins used in the experiments. Only two children survived."

The statement sent a horrible shock through the room. Elizabeth slumped down in her chair. "Two children. Two, out of a hundred." She blinked. "That means that John and Rodney were the only survivors. And they don't remember any of it?"

"No."

_It was one of the worst moments of Nathan Sheppard's life, second only to his son's death. After finding the room full of dead children, the team had spread out and eliminated every Ammontech employee they could find. It was ruthless, brutal, immoral, and none of the soldiers had cared. The scientists and mercenaries they didn't find had taken their own lives rather than face the wrath of the American and Canadian soldiers. _

_Then came the task of dealing with the bodies. For the moment, they left the bodies of the Ammontech employees to rot where they lay, but they couldn't do that to the limp remains of the children. Eventually they set up a system where each child was photographed, then gently placed in a mass grave dug by the soldiers. It was a heartbreaking task, but they did it with a determination to treat the bodies with what dignity they could. _

_They were only halfway finished when it happened. A shrill scream broke the solemn silence of the room, a scream coming from beneath the pile of corpses still waiting for burial. Captain Sheppard sprinted to the sound, digging beneath the small bodies until he found a flailing arm. With amazing speed, he lifted up a raven-haired boy whose hazel eyes were wide with fear and horror. _

_Gathering the screaming child in his arms, Sheppard ran from the room of death and from the complex itself, stopping beneath a large oak tree. Slowly kneeling, the captain began gently rocking the boy, who had not stopped screaming though his voice was becoming hoarse. _

_After awhile, the screams turned to whimpers. Sheppard couldn't imagine what the boy was going through, waking up beneath dead bodies after being held hostage for who knows how long. 'He's the same age as my Joshua was. Dear Lord, what do I do?'_

_Captain Sheppard softly rubbed the boy's back. "What's your name son?"_

_Not expecting a reply, Nathan was surprised to get one. "John," whispered the boy, his voice harsh. "John Drexel…Drexel…I don't…I don't know." With that, the boy fell unconscious. A cursory glance told Nathan that he had only fainted from the emotional trauma of his ordeal. They would need to get him checked out at a hospital, but the boy was in no immediate danger._

_The burial went quickly after that. They found only one more survivor, a brown-haired boy who had been hit in the head by a ricocheted bullet. He was rushed to a nearby military hospital in Canada where his head wound would be treated, as well as the knife wound in his side. _

_John Drexel woke only once more, as the brown-haired boy was carted away. Nathan noticed how the boy's eyes never left the injured child. "Do you know who that is?"_

_John shook his head. "No. No, I don't," was all he could say before he passed out again. _

"After getting rid of the remaining Ammontech scientists and mercenaries, the Special Ops team buried the children, but not before they found John and Rodney. Miraculously John hadn't been hit at all, but passed out when he was knocked to the ground. However," Beckett paused. "However, when the soldiers were removing the bodies for burial, he woke up beneath a pile of the dead." Elizabeth gasped, Zelenka fell pale, and Ford let out a curse. "One Captain Nathan Sheppard pulled him out, but the trauma was too much for him. Later at the hospital he was diagnosed with global amnesia, unable to remember anything except his first and supposedly last name, John Drexel. Captain Sheppard and his wife adopted John, and apparently gave him false memories so that he would believe he really was their son."

Weir managed to compose herself, despite what she was hearing. "And Rodney?"

"Rodney had been hit in the head by a ricochet. He was taken to a Canadian military hospital and operated on. This, I would like to point out, was written in his medical records as a knock in the head from falling out of a tree, and a simultaneous appendectomy was recorded instead of a knife wound. When he woke up, he too couldn't remember anything, was diagnosed with traumatic amnesia, and adopted by a Canadian couple. While Rodney would have eventually remembered his life before his head injury, and did remember his first and middle name, it appears that his subconscious kept it buried beneath the fabricated memories his adoptive parents helped create."

The room was silent for a moment before Dr. Weir spoke again. "You said that Rodney was given a gene-inhibiting shot. Is that why he's sick?"

Carson shifted the papers in his hands. "Yes and no. After reading about the shot, I took a closer look at the blood-work and I found blue, microscopic and inorganic particles in both Rodney and John's blood. I compared the particles to Dr. Zelenka's report on the anti-aging machine and have concluded that they came from those empty cylinders found next to John and Rodney's shoes."

Zelenka nodded in confirmation. "That does make sense. From what I have found, the blue fluid is injected into the person through their hand. I have some of the chemists figuring out the chemical makeup of the fluid. They are having little luck as of now."

"But John has the blue stuff in him as well. Why isn't he sick?" asked Ford.

"While weakened from lack of food and his attempts at healing Rodney, John is strong enough to not be affected by the physical changes he went through when becoming younger. Rodney's body, on the other hand, was just acclimating itself to having the ATA gene turned off. Combined with having his cells de-age at such speeds, he just can't handle it."

Zelenka's face looked thoughtful. "What of the gene therapy Rodney had to get the ATA gene when we first arrived in Atlantis? Is that affecting him as well?"

Beckett shook his head. "As far as I can tell, no. Because he essentially went back in time, the gene therapy hasn't technically happened yet. Actually, it's quite interesting that the therapy in our time didn't un-do the effects of the gene-inhibitor. Instead, it just added a weaker version of the gene into Rodney's DNA." Pulling himself from doctor-mode, Beckett sighed. "Regardless, Rodney's body is just not handling the stress put on its genetic structure."

Weir rubbed her forehead. All this information was giving her a slight headache. "Is there anything you can do, Carson?"

The doctor hesitated before answering. "The report on Ammontech has the ingredients of the gene-inhibitor. I may be able to reverse the inhibitor, negating the effects it has on his cells." At the unsure looks around the table, Beckett hastened to continue. "Right now he is dying. It can't make the situation worse than it already is. Baring Dr. Zelenka and his team figuring out how to make them adults again, this is our best hope."

Weir nodded. "Do it."

* * *

In case you haven't guessed, I fashioned the people of Ammontech after the Nazis. 


	7. Chapter 7

And so begins the first of the last chapters of Forgotten Half. This chapter is kind of short, but I thought it was the best place to cut it.

* * *

For three days they all worked and waited. For three days they watched little Rodney grow weaker and weaker, his small body breaking down before their eyes. The child was in constant pain, and Beckett had finally begun administering high dosage pain-relievers. John wasn't doing well either, his brother's pain mirrored in his sympathetic eyes.

Elizabeth felt helpless. She could do little other than hold Rodney when the pain convulsions hit him, or when he had nightmares. Lieutenant Ford as well was often around, giving John hugs and trying to keep his spirits up. The young soldier obviously felt a sense of responsibility for the boys as the first person on Atlantis that they trusted. When Teyla returned from the mainland, she too visited often with the children, singing Athosian lullabies and giving what little comfort she could.

By the end of the third day Beckett had finished the gene-activator. His face was grim, though, as he administered it, an expression mirrored by the others. They all knew that, despite the nearly super-human speed with which Carson created the activator, it was most likely too late.

Weir held a nearly unconscious Rodney in her arms, listening to the heart monitor. Aiden stood against the wall, Teyla sitting in an empty chair beside him. Beckett closed his eyes as he sat next to a hauntingly silent John, listening to the beeping, holding on to the sound that meant his friend was still alive. There was nothing he could do now. If Rodney's heart stopped, he knew there was little chance that he could restart it again. The doctor ached to put the child on a ventilator, to use any means possible to keep him alive; but one look at Elizabeth told him that it would be beyond cruelty to prolong Rodney's suffering like that, to keep him in unending pain. No, the gene-activator had worked, but not in time. Dr. Zelenka could not reverse the de-aging process, and Carson could not stop his best friend from dying.

John's hazel eyes seemed to stare off into space, but it was only a mask to cover his troubled feelings. 'I can't lose Quinn, I can't. He's my twin, my other half; I don't know if I can live without him.' Salty tears ran down his face, and he felt a comforting arm hug him. John looked up at Carson, seeing the pain in the doctor's eyes, pain mirrored in the eyes of everyone in the room.

A soft whimper caught his attention, and John turned his head to look at his brother. Rodney could barely move and was having trouble breathing. John felt his own breath hitch as he realized that this was the end, his brother was almost dead.

Rodney's blue eyes met his own and suddenly John had an idea. It was crazy and dangerous, and Rodney would be angry that he did it, but at the moment John didn't care. It was his only chance to save his brother. He needed only to wait a few more moments…

Elizabeth felt her heart clench as Rodney's breathing suddenly stopped, the heart monitor starting to screech out its warning. She heard Carson stand and reach out to the boy in her arms, felt him halt in midair before forcing himself to sit down again as he fought his doctor's instincts. As the heart-monitor continued its shrill cries, Elizabeth kept her eyes on the still child. The sound of the flat-line was suddenly cut off as Ford turned off the machine, unable to bear the horrible sound. As tears filled her eyes, Dr. Weir placed one last kiss on Rodney's soft hair.

* * *

Well, I hope you liked where I ended it…just kidding. I wouldn't do that to you. On to the next part…

* * *

A small hand snaked over Elizabeth's to settle on Rodney's now motionless chest. The leader of Atlantis looked down to see John, eyes closed and forehead wrinkled, softly whispering to his brother. The words grew softer and softer until the boy fell silent, never moving his hand.

All of a sudden, John tightly gripped the front of Rodney's hospital gown. Beckett barely had enough time to grab the boy as he collapsed, never letting go of his brother. The physician checked the boy's vital signs, frightened to find that he wasn't breathing and his heart had stopped. This wasn't supposed to happen; it was Rodney who was dying, not John!

He gently placed the child on the bed as he yelled for the nurses. "I need a crash cart!"

Beckett leaned over to start chest compressions when John's eyes opened for a moment. "No," came the soft whisper before the boy fell back unconscious. Beckett checked again, still no pulse.

As the crash cart was getting set up, Beckett cut John's shirt off of him, quickly setting up a heart monitor. He was handed the paddles, yelling "Clear!" when Weir shouted his name, stopping him before he could shock John.

Carson turned his head, his eyes widening as the body in Elizabeth's arms drew a short breath. John's heart monitor began responding, one short beep at a time. "Carson, I think John's trying to bring Rodney back!"

The doctor hesitated, then put the paddles away, though he kept them in reach just in case. He didn't like it, but with what little they knew he would have to take that chance. Moving to Rodney's side, he turned the heart monitor back on and watched as it spiked again and again, slowly gaining strength. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, both boys gasped and opened their eyes.

Elizabeth was elated. Somehow John had just brought Rodney back from the threshold of death, in a way that she couldn't possibly begin to understand. The twins quickly fell asleep, both exhausted, but both alive and presumably well.

It was Teyla who noticed the heart-monitors first. "Dr. Beckett, I did not think it was normal for two people to have the same heartbeat."

Beckett blinked, than looked at the monitors. They were beeping in unison, a phenomenon he had never encountered before. The four friends, Elizabeth, Carson, Teyla, and Aiden, all stared at the sleeping children, listening the steady, synchronized beating of their hearts. Beckett shook his head. "I don't pretend to know what just happened here."

Elizabeth heartily agreed as she held the now alive boy in her arms. "Honestly, I don't think it matters. I'm just glad it worked."

Everyone could agree with that.

* * *

I promise to finish posting tonight. 


	8. Chapter 8

Next up: Taking care of the Twins. Warning, I wrote this late at night and I needed a break from the angst. Therefore, it may seem a little different from my other chapters. I hope you still enjoy it.

* * *

Beckett stood in his office, surrounded by Dr. Weir, Lieutenant Ford, Teyla, and Dr. Zelenka. All of them were waiting for him to tell them what exactly had happened the day before, how it was possible that Rodney was still alive. "All my tests show that Rodney is slowly, but surely, getting better. The blue particles are still in both of their systems, but it doesn't seem to be having a negative affect. Also, the gene-activator worked perfectly and Rodney can now use the ATA gene to the extent he could before. And let me tell you, it is very uncanny to have him now exactly what you are feeling."

Chuckles echoed in the small room before Weir asked the question every wanted to ask. "Not that I'm complaining, but how is he still alive?"

"My best guess," answered Carson honestly, "is that John managed to restart Rodney's heart after it began failing. It's analogous to, say, a computer. Rodney's body was failing, but after he 'died', John was able to 'reboot' and clean the system of its problems. A rough comparison, but it's the best I have."

Weir nodded in understanding. "The next question is, what do we do now?"

Zelenka pushed his glasses up on his nose. "I believe we are getting close to figuring out how to reverse the de-aging process. There are quite a few combinations in the crystalic structure of the cylinder that we will have to test, so it may take a few days."

"Good, keep it up. Carson, I'd like to keep the twins in the infirmary, try to keep them from getting into trouble."

The physician looked startled, than a horrified look passed over his face. "Dear lord, those two get in enough trouble as adults. Can you imagine what they could do as children? For that matter as twins with empathic abilities?"

Weir grinned and patted Beckett on the shoulder. "You'll do fine."

00000

Weir had decided to keep Rodney and John's situation on the quiet side, not wanting to involve too many people. Of course Aiden, Teyla, Radek, Carson, a few scientists, and the medical staff knew, but everyone else was just told that two children had been found and that McKay and Sheppard were on the mainland. Therefore, the twins were kept in a separate room in the infirmary, not allowing any unwanted visitors. This made for two very bored 7 year old boys. This is a bad thing.

_Crash_. Beckett's head jerked up at the loud sound coming from 'The Room'. He silently groaned, not wanting to go in but knowing he had to due to his position as chief medical officer. 'I could have been happily ensconced in my own little practice on Earth, but nooooo. I had to go off, see another world, be threatened by life-sucking aliens, and take care of the child-versions of my best friends.'

Gathering his patience, Carson opened the door and assessed the damage. 'At least they aren't sick anymore' he thought absently. No, in fact Rodney and John were quite well, and happily playing with the markers a nurse had given them. (Where she got markers from, Beckett didn't know) However, instead of nicely drawing on the pad of paper they had been given, the boys had decided that the room needed redecorating. A red spaceship sat on a blue moon where there was a green astronaut bravely fighting off what looked to be a purple T-rex, all over the millennia-old walls of Atlantis.

The two culprits looked guiltily up at the doctor from where they sat on the floor, engaged in a wrestling match. Next to them lay a pan, the source of the crash, which had fallen off a table. Carson gave them the patented 'doctor' glare, and the boys sheepishly pulled themselves off the floor and into two chairs.

Obviously this was the part where Beckett should give them a talking-to, but the good doctor had a headache and was not in a good mood. So he did the next best thing. "Teyla?"

"Yes, Dr. Beckett?"

"Would you be so kind as to come watch over the twin terrors in my infirmary for awhile? I have things to do and can not stay and keep them out of trouble."

He could almost hear the Athosian trying to hide a smile. "It would be my pleasure, Doctor. I will be right there."

00000

With Teyla keeping the children occupied, peace once again reigned in Atlantis's infirmary. Beckett sighed as he settled down in his chair, downing two Tylenol for his head. It had been 12 days since John and Rodney had been turned into children. Doctor Zelenka's team was reported to be close to finding the way to change them back, and Beckett truly hoped it would be soon.

Sure, the boy's were sweet kids, but the personnel of Atlantis didn't have the time or the ability to take care of them. They couldn't keep the two locked in the infirmary forever, and as normal little boys they needed to be outside, playing and releasing their pent-up energy.

A sad smile crossed the physician's face. Yes, they were normal boys, but they had grown old in their ordeal. It still pained both of them to speak about their parents, and continued to have nightmares pierce their sleep. At times Carson almost felt relieved that their older selves hadn't had to live with the memories these two had.

Teyla never thought she would be so glad to see Lieutenant Ford as he walked into 'The Room'. She had spent the past few hours trying to keep Rodney and John occupied, and the Athosian was exhausted. "Aiden, I am going to go get something to eat. Would you please stay with the children until I return?"

Not knowing what he was getting himself into, Ford agreed, and Teyla nearly ran out the door. The lieutenant looked down at the boys who stared back with identically raised eyebrows. "So, um, who wants to play a game?"

Two pairs of eyes lit up. "I do!" they exclaimed in unison. Rodney jumped onto one of the beds. "Let's play Pillow Prime-Not Prime!"

Though he despised Prime-Not Prime, Aiden couldn't help but acquiesce at the sight of two very cute pouting faces. "How do you play _Pillow_ Prime-Not Prime?"

The twins grinned, taking turns answering. "It's like regular Prime-Not Prime,"

"except when you get one wrong,"

"you get hit,"

"with a pillow!"

Ford had a very bad feeling about this.

00000

Elizabeth Weir pulled the covers on Rodney's bed up to his chin, gently tucking him in, after having done the same for John. "Good-night, boys." When they didn't automatically reply like they had the past few days, she knew something was wrong. "Alright, what is it?" Weir asked as she sat in a chair between in the two beds, facing the twins.

Rodney, the chosen spokesperson, cleared his throat. "What's happening?"

Elizabeth didn't understand the question. "What do you mean?"

"Why are we here in Atlantis? John remembers better than I do, but even I remember one moment being at Ammontech and the next being in a totally different place. And now you won't let us out of our room, just like them."

Weir sucked in her breath. She hadn't thought that they would correlate being kept in the infirmary with being held in an Ammontech cell. The notion disturbed her. "Rodney…"

"We trust you, Lizbeth." Rodney said quickly. "I know you're a good person, but you're hiding something important. We just want to know what's going on."

Elizabeth sat back in the chair, silently debating with herself. She didn't want to burden these boys anymore, they had been through enough. Yet Dr. Zelenka was close to figuring out how to return John and Rodney to their adult selves, and she couldn't bring herself to make them go through with an experiment without telling them why. Biting her lip, she decided that it would be best just to explain it to them now. "This may sound very strange, but I assure you it's true. We are in a place called Atlantis, but it is not a base in the US. In fact, it's not even on Earth."

Instead of being skeptical, both sets of eyes lit up. "Awesome!" exclaimed the boys together.

Weir smiled, "Yes, awesome. Atlantis was built by…extinct aliens and we came here a few months ago in order to learn about them. Unfortunately, we don't know what some of the devices they left behind do and we had some trouble with one."

"The cylinders!" interjected John. "The cylinders we were holding when we came here, that's what you had problems with."

"Yes. You see, you were right when you said it was no longer 1976, John. It is the year 2005."

The boys let it sink in. John got it first, his hazel eyes widening. "We're 35!"

Rodney's mouth dropped open. "The cylinder…it was some sort of time travel device?"

"No," Weir said, shaking her head, "it turned the 35 year old John and Rodney into your seven year old selves. We have some of our scientists working on the device and figuring out how to turn you back."

Both boys were silent and Elizabeth grimaced slightly, thinking they were upset. That was, until Rodney spoke up again, his eyes thoughtful. "Can I see the device? I'm really good at fixing things, maybe I can figure it out!"

Weir held back a snort. That statement was so Rodney McKay it wasn't funny. "Dr. Zelenka is working on it now and he's almost there. I'm sure he would be happy to explain it to you when he's finished."

Rodney looked like he was about to go into a pout, but then John began talking. "So we're in an alien city? Have you met any aliens? What do they look like? Am I a policeman in the future, I've always wanted to be a policeman? I bet Rodney's your head astronaut. Do you have spaceships? Can I fly one?"

Elizabeth let out a chuckle. "Slow down, John. Right now, all you're going to do is sleep." The twins groaned. "Sleep; or I'll bring Dr. Carson in here." They groaned again, but settled down in their beds. Weir smiled. "Good-night."

"Good-night!"

"'Night, Lizbeth!"

* * *

I believe there are only two chapters left. 


	9. Chapter 9

This chapter may be short, but it is important.

* * *

Dr. Weir sighed inwardly as Sergeant Stackhouse's team came through the Gate, alive and unharmed. She was getting used to the untroubled missions that were going on lately. They hadn't been successful in finding a ZPM, but at least all the teams were in one piece. Somehow it was always Sheppard's team that ended up injured, captured, injured _and_ captured, or just having bad things happening to them. With that team grounded, things were actually quiet around the control room.

Thinking about the team brought Elizabeth's mind back to mini-John and Rodney. They had taken the news that they were actually adults quite well, and were intent on learning everything they could about Atlantis and aliens. 'Not that anyone's told them about their future selves. Or the Wraith. They give _me_ nightmares, I'm not inflicting that on those kids.' It had been exactly two weeks since John and Rodney had been turned into children, and they had certainly grown on Elizabeth, Carson, and the others.

That was soon to end, though. Dr. Zelenka had just radioed in that he believed he had found the right crystal-combination, and would be ready to test it the next day. Elizabeth sighed again as she saw the evening light shining through the windows. Only one more day and Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay were back. Only one more day and the sweet little boys in the infirmary would be gone for good.

A beep signaled an incoming com, and Elizabeth tapped her headset. "Yes?"

"Dr. Weir, we have a problem!"

"What is it Carson?"

She could hear the tenseness in the physician's voice. "The lads are missing. I can't find them anywhere in the infirmary!"

00000

Rodney and John waited in the shadows until they saw the last scientist leave the lab. John had managed to find his way back to the lab where they had been turned into children, and led his brother silently there. Looking both ways down the hall, the twins scurried into the room, turning on the lights in the process. In the middle of the lab, on a table, sat the three cylinders.

Little Rodney quickly pulled himself up on one of the lab chairs, looking at the device. The top of the largest cylinder was open, showing the colorful crystals that lay inside. The boy frowned. "This looks wrong."

John sat on the chair next to him. "How can you tell?"

"They don't…feel right."

The black-haired twin matched his brother's frown as he looked at the device. "You're right, it doesn't. That greenish-purple one looks out of place."

Rodney nodded, sucking on his lip as he thought. His eyes lit up when he finally figured it out. "It needs to be rotated a little bit that way." He did, so and the two visibly relaxed. "Yup, that's right." Rodney looked at his brother. "Should we try it out?"

John grinned. "Duh!"

00000

Radek Zelenka breathed out heavily as he lay on his bed. He was exhausted after working long hours to fix the machine that had turned his friends into children. Tomorrow they would be back to normal. The only thing bugging the Czech scientist still was the 'failsafe' the original Atlantean scientist had written about. Something about memories and the ventilation system…

Zelenka's eyes popped open and he jumped out of bed. Swearing violently in Czech, he began swiftly walking back to McKay's lab. He had to fix this or they certainly wouldn't be turning McKay and Sheppard back tomorrow.

00000

The twins scrambled out of the chairs and laid the cylinders in the middle of the room. Rodney pushed the top of the big cylinder and it began to hum. Taking up the empty cylinders, the boys looked at each other. "Ready J.D.?"

John nodded. "I'm ready, Quinn." He flashed his brother a cocky grin. "See you soon!"

Rodney smiled back and together the boy's inserted the smaller cylinders into their original slots. The whole device glowed, enveloping them in a large, white light.

And the city of Atlantis responded.

* * *

Only one more to go! 


	10. Chapter 10

Last chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

It spread throughout the whole city, an insidious infection that hit everyone in its path. Created over 10,000 years before, it knew its purpose and fulfilled it completely. Minds were attacked, memories completely erased and other memories filled their slots. It was horrible, invasive…and no one noticed it. 

00000

Dr. Zelenka stopped where he stood. 'Where was I going just now? Oh, that's right. It's time for bed, I've been up too long.' The Czech doctor smiled, turned around, and happily marched back to his room.

00000

Carson Beckett stopped in mid-sentence as he was talking to Dr. Weir. "Elizabeth, what was I just saying?"

Elizabeth blinked. What _had_ he just been saying? Something about John and Rodney and how they…needed to have a complete physical when the appeared again? "Something about Major Sheppard and Dr. McKay's physicals?"

"Oh yes. As I was saying, when they come back from wherever they are, I want to see them."

"Of course, Doctor. Weir out."

00000

In Rodney McKay's lab two grown men were blinking from the affects of a bright flash. Dr. McKay scowled. "See what you did, Major! You could have killed us for all we know!"

John Sheppard grinned. "Come off it, McKay. We're safe, nothing happened."

"Nothing happened!" Rodney shook the cylinder in John's face. "You broke it! Look, the crystals have been burnt out. There's no way to replace them!"

Sheppard looked at the top of the cylinder, wincing at the blackened crystals. "Well, at least it wasn't us, just one of your play-toys." Before McKay could blow up at him, Sheppard took the cylinder from him, put it down, and starting walking away. "Come on, we have a meeting soon. Better not miss it."

The two walked down the halls, arguing, not seeing the surprised looks on people's faces as they passed. When they found no one in the conference room, Sheppard and McKay sauntered into Elizabeth's office, much to the leader's surprise. "Rodney, Major Sheppard, you're back!"

"Back?" asked McKay, his forehead scrunching up. "We were just in my lab, you know that Elizabeth."

Dr. Weir shook her head. "You've both been gone for two weeks."

Sheppard and McKay both looked taken aback. "What do you mean we've been gone for two weeks? We were just in my lab, and Major Sheppard was fooling around with the Ancient device I was working…" McKay turned and glared at the major. "You sent us forward in time! That cylinder was some sort of time travel device, you turned it on, and now we've lost two weeks! Two weeks of work, and I'm sure the idiots in the labs have ruined everything I've been working on!"

"McKay!" shouted Sheppard. "Shut up! I'm sure things haven't gone down the toilet just because you weren't there for a few days. Am I right?" he asked Elizabeth.

Weir nodded. "Everything's fine. Dr. Zelenka was working on the device and figured out what had happened to you. He figured you hadn't gone very far in the future and that the best thing to do was wait. Most of Atlantis just thinks you went to the mainland for vacation."

McKay was not appeased. "Well this is great. I've had two weeks of vacation and missed all of it."

He continued to glare at Sheppard, who just grinned. "Well it is your fault, McKay."

"My fault! How is this my fault? _You_ were the one who turned the device on!"

"You told me it didn't work!"

Before McKay could continue the argument, Elizabeth intervened. "Gentlemen, Dr. Beckett wishes to see you, now that you've returned. I believe he mentioned a full physical."

"But…"

"Go."

Grumbling, McKay and Sheppard left the office, arguing along the way. "This is _your_ fault, Major."

"Is not."

"Is too, Mr. Let's-activate-all-the-Acient-devices-within-reach."

"It is not, you should have told me not to touch it!"

"I did!"

In her office, Elizabeth Weir sat back in her chair and shook her head. 'Sometimes those two act just like children.'

* * *

_grins evilly. _Did I mention that I wanted to set it up in case I wanted to write a sequel? Don't know if I will, but if I don't…I hope you liked the ending. _continues grinning evilly_


End file.
